Her Regret, His Resolve; Bouncing Back, Book 2

13

He was waiting to know if Russell would slip up. Hoping beyond hope that the guy whose life was left in his hands by Hans had learned from him over the years.

He watched Russell smile, raking a hand through his short, brown waves.

“Your wife asked if I ever felt the need to smack Skylar silly, and I said no. I don’t want to be like that thing that fathered us, Declan. I want to be like you. I spent so much time relearning everything, that I just want you to be proud of me the way he should have been.”

Blinking hard, Declan tried to make sense of what he was hearing. Thinking back over the last eight years he’d been around Russell, he watched the younger man change his last name. He rose to the occasion when it came to Kennedy getting hurt, taking the initiative to carry the girl against her wishes to where their sister could look the child over. He saw him receive calls from the team Nix put together, rushing to aid them however he could.

Earlier that year alone, he risked and beat death to protect Skylar. Then, when the youngest of the crew needed someone unbiased, Russell again rose to the challenge of training the teen in secret. An action that effectively put a bright red target on his back.

“Declan?”

Looking up at the same time, they spotted Ambrosia in the doorway. Her soft smile made her green eyes shimmer as she looked between her brothers, enjoying the fact that they were getting along so well.

“Go home,” Declan grunted. “No sisters allowed.”

She laughed, “Too bad, so sad. Russell, you good to join Robert on a road trip? The Victors reached out to have someone from our family escort Latoya’s daughter Giana to Vancouver. She’s attending a fashion show as her mother’s representative to promote their Forever Summer line.”

“I was thinking about asking for a new mission, and you pop in with that one? So, is it just me and Robbie?” Russell asked as he got up to hug her.

Returning the gesture, she sighed. “Pack a bag for a week. You’ll be staying at a local hotel in an adjacent room which will be fully paid. All meals are provided. You and Robert are close in age and won’t stand out as much as the others we had in mind.”

“Understood,” he said as he immediately started getting ready. “I’ll need to explain to my girlfriend. I didn’t like that she was lied to about my previous absence.”

Smiling, Amber nodded. “I heard. Declan, Kennedy’s requested your part of the family specifically for her wedding. The rest of the family will be planning another one for her when my oldest brat comes home with my new daughter. Callum’s gone ahead and dipped into Nix’s inheritance from Hans to pay for Memphis and Ken to escape to Cancun for two weeks.”

“I can understand that. She wants her sister, her niece, and her nephews there. Since I’m a father-figure in her life, she probably wants me to walk her down the aisle, too.” Her twin replied with a breathy laugh.

Russell grinned as he dropped his bag to the bed. “I got my meds packed, so there’s no worry there. With Robbie around, I’ll have someone to keep me sane at least. Um, do you think that it would be okay for Sky to join me instead? I’ll pay her way, but I figure she would want to go to a fashion show, and Giana did go to school with the team. The way I see it, at least Gia won’t be alone in appreciating their chosen industry.”

“That’s very responsible of you, Russell. Why don’t I go clear that with Latoya, and you go talk to David?” His sister said.

******

Six hours later, they touched down in Vancouver. Chatting excitedly with Giana Victors-Stanton, Skylar happily kept pace with the other woman. The sun was setting, casting a warm golden glow over the city as they made their way through the bustling airport. After talking to David about the trip that would be a week-long leave from home, Russell finally convinced him that it would be good for Skylar’s career to gain some fashion show experience. Without driving a wedge between the father and daughter pair, he effectively secured her leave from work to attend the trip with a big-name fashionista.

As soon as the Samms found out, they eagerly marked the trip as a learning experience for Skylar, calling her to let her know that she would be representing their agency on the trip.

“She seems happy,” Robert commented dryly. Someone tapped him on the shoulder, and he turned to look at Giana. “Ma’am?”

Her full lips curved into a smile. “So, here’s the deal. I wasn’t allowed to come alone, and Mother wanted me to take someone from Cousin Callum’s mob rather than our own. Not sure why, but she left me to create the cover story for you and Russell. That said, he apparently already cleared his end of it on his own.”

“So, what’s the plan?” he asked, curiosity piqued.

“I’m so glad you asked! You see,” Giana stopped to check her watch. “Russell, can you call and see where the car is, please and thanks?”

“Sure.”

Turning back to Robert, she grinned slyly. “Anyway, you’re going to be my bodyguard or boyfriend depending on the situation. Skylar and I represent my mother’s shop and the Desert Rose agency in the industry, which gives us the perfect cover as we’re both models. Russell’s already her boyfriend, so that’s that. Which brings me to our actual purpose: finding out who’s been stealing my mother’s designs and who’s been kidnapping the local models.”

“So, this is legit work, then? Awe, I was hoping for more time off. I guess Amber had a hand in this,” Robert sighed dramatically, pretending to be offended. Laughing, the girls grabbed their shoulder bags and followed Russell out to the car while Robert took up the rear. The cool evening air felt refreshing as they stepped outside. The sky was a blend of oranges and purples, promising a beautiful twilight. Putting the bags into the trunk, they smirked at each other, ready for the adventure that lay ahead.

“Work, work, work,” Russell muttered, earning a jovial laugh from his friend. “The pay is good, so I’m not complaining. And we get to spend time with those two beauties?”

“Mmm-hmm,” Robert hummed in agreement. “May a brother be blessed, amirite? Hot dayum, man. What are the odds that one of the cutest black girls I know is still shockingly single?”

“I’m pretty sure you’re the dark chocolate all the female trainees are gushing over. Not to mention the fact that Gia hasn’t stopped sneaking glances at you,” Russell laughed as they got into the car.

The women, still eagerly chatting, flipping through the catalogue of options that would be available at the show they were attending over the next few days. Skylar scowled at one of the dresses, her eyes narrowing on the name under the design. Taking her time, she pointed out three more designs that she’d worked with over the last month and a half.

Beside her, vibrating with anger, Giana shook her head. Once they got to the hotel where they were supposed to be staying, they were promptly shown to their rooms. Getting settled, the men ensured that there was nothing in either room that could possibly hinder their mission. Switching rooms with the girls as a precaution was another thing they were trained to do.

“Grandmother’s people never do this,” Giana stated.

Sky shrugged, “We were trained to be this way to avoid and protect against possible threats. Anyone who knew our reservations and rooms numbers could potentially access them and come after us, so we switch with the men. This way, they have the main room, our primary room door is completely locked down from the inside, and the only other access point to get to us is the adjoining door.”

“What about the window?” Giana asked, amused that they could be so well-prepared for any situation.

“Don Hans wanted his people to have a considerable upper hand, Ms. Victors-Stanton. In doing so, he rose to the top of the food chain in the criminal underworld. Having the reins of almost every gang in the province, he also branched out to various other spots, lending power to his position without ever lifting a finger. That said, he passed his values to those he trained. Those who didn’t agree were used as examples as to why you never f****d with the King of Hunters and his army,” Robert lamented proudly.

Russell shook his head, “Sky, I noticed your reaction in the car to the designs. Did you see something interesting?”

“Yeah, Amanda Gross’s name listed as the designer when I know it was created by Maggie Strong, of Stronger Together. Fact is, I modeled the exact business suit in last month’s edition of Dolce for Maggie’s Entrepreneurial Women in Business gala when she released the line. Yet, despite that, it says here she submitted the design two weeks ago. I can easily pull up the proof from my work portfolio with Desert Rose,” Skylar replied, handing the booklet to Giana.

Taking it, the other woman rolled her eyes. “A thief is a thief, and now we know this goes a bit deeper than we thought. Mama likes you, and she likes how easy you are to work with as a model. It’s the reason she encouraged me to befriend you, Sky. Not that I needed it.”

Laughing at the other woman, Skylar smiled warmly. Wiggling her brows suggestively, she coyly stated: “Not when we can bond over boys and fashion.”

“The windows have been checked and I installed a siren alarm in case anyone wants to try that route. Sky sleeps with her sidearm within reach, and so do me and Russell,” Robert said as he put his tools back in his bag.